Willow rolled her eyes. “Please. You’re too smart for that. But I would say to be careful. Love is in the air and all that.”
Marina shook her head. “I’m immune. Which is fine with me. I’m not looking to get married anytime soon.”
“What about falling in love?”
“Maybe next year.”
In truth, she liked the idea of falling for a guy. But along with the desire to be in love was a healthy dose of fear. Giving away her heart looked a little to much like giving away her sense of self. First Aunt Ruth, then her mother. Marina wasn’t willing to be like either of them.
“So, another wedding,” she said. “Have you two picked a date?”
“We’re thinking spring. Well, after Julie’s wedding, but before the baby’s born.”
“I can help with the planning. I’ll be an expert.”
“I would love that,” Willow told her. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Just ask me anything. Or Todd. He’s actually pretty good at the whole wedding planning thing. Just don’t tell him I said that.”
Willow shifted so they were facing each other. “Really? He’s not awful?”
“No,” Marina said, still surprised by that bit of news. “He’s actually nice. Funny, charming…I like him. I didn’t expect that at all. I thought he’d be a jerk. I really didn’t want to work with him on the wedding, but even though we don’t agree on everything, I like having him help. It’s a big responsibility and I like having someone to share in the process. Plus, he’s fairly good-looking. Even if my day is going badly, it’s fun to have a little eye candy to look forward to.”
“I don’t think he’s the kind of guy who likes being called eye candy.”
“Probably not, but we won’t mention it.”
Willow studied her. “So this is good?” she asked. “With Julie and Ryan getting married, Todd is kind of in the family now. We’ll all be friends?”
“I think so. We’ll mock his choice of women when he brings dates, but that will be entertaining.”
“Something to look forward to,” Willow said. “Todd’s not the kind of guy to hang out by himself.”
Marina nodded in agreement, but found herself wondering about the other women in Todd’s life. No doubt he was seeing someone right now. Who was she? Some socialite or heiress? A high-powered businesswoman? Marina would guess that whoever she was, her ward robe consisted of more than jeans and UCLA sweat shirts.
Not that she, Marina, was trying to impress him. They were working together on the wedding. Nothing more. Except he’d kissed her. She still couldn’t seem to forget the flash of heat and need and desire that had nearly overwhelmed her. And that had been from a kind of nothing kiss. What would happen if he kissed her like he meant it?
“He’s actually my date for the wedding,” Marina said. “We both promised Grandma Ruth we’d go on one date and the wedding seemed the easiest.”
“Once again I encourage you to marry him so I can have a million-dollar nest egg,” Willow said with a grin.
“Kane has money.”
“Yes, but that’s his money. A fortune of my own would be kind of fun.”
Marina shook her head. “Sorry. I don’t have any big plans to marry Todd. Not even for a million dollars.”
“What about five million? I’ll bet Grandma Ruth would be delighted to cough up a little more cash.”
“Not interested.”
Willow sighed. “I thought our sisterly love was supposed to be unconditional. I hate that it has limits.”
“Life can be tragic.”
Willow glanced back at her ring. “There are some bright spots. I have Kane.”
“Yes, you do.”
Willow looked at her. “You’re next. Things happen in threes. First Julie, then me, so it’s your turn.”
“I don’t think it works like that.”
Not that she would say no to her own happily ever after, but there were complications. Falling for a guy meant trusting him completely. While she could see that happening, it also meant trusting herself, which she was a lot less sure about.
Four
Marina sat on the front stairs of her apartment waiting for Todd. As her watch ticked over to the exact minute he was due, his sleek, silver, expensive convertible rounded the corner and pulled up in front of her building.
She stood and sighed. “Pretty car,” she said when he stepped out and walked toward her. “Very pretty car.” Of course he looked good, too. The man knew how to wear a suit. But she didn’t feel the need to share that.
He held out the keys. “Want to drive?”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Drive. The. Car. You’re supposed to be the smart one here. It shouldn’t be such a complex concept. I’ve seen you drive. You know how.”
She looked from him to the Mercedes and back. “But it’s your car. You’re a guy. Guys don’t share their cars. Certainly not really expensive ones like this.”
“It’s just a car, Marina. I buy what I like, but it’s not my life.” He shook the keys. “Now answer the question. Do you want to drive?”
She snatched the keys from him before he could change his mind. “Absolutely.”
But as she made her way to the driver’s side, she glanced at him. Sure, Todd had money and if something happened to this car, he could easily get another, but it was the principle of the matter. This wasn’t normal behavior. Was he really so secure with himself that he could let her do this without a second thought?
She settled into the leather seat and surveyed the interior. There were the basics she was used to, along with a GPS display, dual zone air-conditioning and a sound system that looked complicated enough to be on the space shuttle.
“It’s nice today,” he said. “Want to put the top down?”
“Oh, yeah.”
She scanned the controls and found the one that took care of the top, then put the key in the ignition and turned to watch the show.
It was a marvel of German engineering, she thought as the top automatically folded down and a built-in cover slipped over it. All without her doing anything.
Then she faced front, adjusted the mirrors, started the engine and prepared to be impressed.
“How fast can I go?” she asked.
“How much are you willing to pay for a ticket?”
“Good point. So where to?”
He pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. “Today we’re taking care of table linens, place settings, tables and chairs, party favors and the tuxes.” He glanced at his watch. “We have an appointment at the linen place, so let’s go there first.”
He gave her the address and she pulled out into the street. The car responded to her every instruction, the engine purred smoothly and she could feel the power hovering just a press of her foot away. The day was warm, the wind wiped her hair around and she felt pretty darned happy.
“I could get used to this,” she said as she came to a stop at the light.
“So you’re tempted by the dark side?”
She grinned. “More than tempted.” Obviously a car like this wasn’t possible on her budget, but maybe a used convertible wasn’t out of the question. It could still be fun.
She drove to the rental place and resisted the urge to take an extra trip around the block, just for the driving pleasure. Instead she parked and climbed out.
“Thanks,” she said, handing over the keys. “That was great.”
“Anytime.”
“As if you mean that. Still, I’m deeply impressed you let me drive it at all. You’re very secure.”
“I’m a macho kind of guy.”
She laughed. “Not to mention modest. You’re extremely modest.”
They walked into the rental showroom.
“I called ahead,” Todd told her. “They’ll have tables set up for us. We can get some idea of what colors work well together and how formal or informal we want things to be.”
She pulled her camera
out of her purse. “I’m prepared to take pictures.”
They walked into the showroom and saw nearly a dozen tables set for dinner. Each table was done in a different color, with coordinating china and a centerpiece.
They introduced themselves to the clerk there, who invited them to walk around and get ideas.
Marina immediately moved toward a round table with a pale pink tablecloth and elegant light yellow napkins.
The plates were cream, trimmed in silver; the centerpiece was a combination of pink and yellow flowers that trailed across the center of the table. Even seated, the guests would be able to see each other and the colors were warm and cheerful.
“I like this one,” she said, only to realize she was talking to herself. Todd was across the room in front of a table done in deep reds and purples.
She winced as she got closer. The china was black, the napkins dark and the flowers looked like something out of a nightmare rather than appropriate for a wedding.
“It’s elegant,” he said when she paused next to him.
“It’s scary. I don’t think we’re going to have many children attending, but what if the ones who did come were terrified?”
He glanced over his shoulder at the one she’d liked. “What if we didn’t set the table for an Easter brunch? Julie said low-key elegant. Bunnies and colored eggs don’t fall into that category.”
Marina looked at the table she’d loved. “Okay, maybe it’s a little pale, but this is awful. I don’t like the really tall centerpiece. You can’t see the people across from you.”
“Which could be a good thing if you didn’t like them.”
She smiled. “We can’t guarantee that will be the case. What about that?”
She pointed to a table done in deep rose, with accents of green. The cream china provided a neutral backdrop for patterned salad and dessert plates. The centerpiece was more botanical than floral and it sat low enough to see over.
Todd studied the settings. “It’s not fussy. That’s good. The colors are a little girly, but the green’s okay. I like the centerpiece.”
“It’s certainly different,” Marina murmured as she got out her camera and started taking pictures. “Rose and green would be pretty colors, with cream sort of blending in.”
She snapped pictures of the other tables, but concentrated on the one she and Todd agreed on. Then they went to the clerk at the front of the showroom and asked about a price list.
Todd held out the sheet so they could both see it. The charges were broken down by type of rental, as well as number of units needed. The more rented, the less the cost per item.
“We didn’t talk about the glasses,” she said.
“Honestly, I can’t see Ryan caring. If it holds wine and champagne, he’ll be good with it.”
“You’re not going to argue on general principle?”
“Only to keep things interesting.”
They were standing close together. Close enough for their arms to brush. Marina was aware of how much taller Todd was than her and how the heat from his body made her just a tiny bit squishy inside.
She did not want to be attracted to Todd, she reminded herself. It was that stupid kiss. If that hadn’t happened, she never would have thought of him as more than just Ryan’s friend and someone she had to learn to deal with for the next few weeks. He wouldn’t have been…a man.
She forced her mind to focus on the project at hand. “Look, they can recommend a florist,” she said. “That’s good. We need more recommendations. The chair rental isn’t too bad. We’re going to need chair covers, though.”
He swore softly. “They’re four bucks each. With two hundred chairs, that’s eight hundred dollars to throw a piece of cloth over the chair? Can’t they be naked?”
She patted his arm. “No. They look better covered.”
“Ryan and I are in the wrong business. If you rent out those covers twice every weekend, even with the cost of the initial purchase and cleaning, you’re still raking in the money.”
“So invest in the bridal business.”
He looked around and shook his head. “It’s too emotional. Give me a good high-tech start-up any day.”
“But you could expand. Diversify.”
“Maybe.” He sounded doubtful.
She looked up at him. “So how did you get started? Do you wake up one morning and think ‘Hey, let’s be venture capitalists’?”
“Not exactly. Ryan and I had a buddy back in college. He had a great idea for software, but he didn’t have the money to manufacture or market it. We decided to finance his business.”
“So you used your allowance money for the week?”
He shook his head. “Trust fund money.”
“Oh, of course,” she said knowingly. “That’s where I go when I’m short on cash. It’s so handy having that spare billion or two to fall back on.”
“You enjoy mocking me, don’t you?”
“It’s pretty fun.”
He folded the price sheet and handed it to her. “The company took off. By the time we graduated, Ryan and I had made our first million.”
Impressive, she thought, but she wasn’t going to say that to him. “Does the silver spoon ever choke you?” she asked.
He ignored her. “We both paid back out trust funds with interest and never had to tap into it again. Our company has been profitable ever since.”
So except for his start-up cash, he’d earned his fortune the old-fashioned way. She would never have guessed. “Make any mistakes?”
“A few. Fortunately they didn’t cost too much. Not every new company is going to make it and all the experts in the world can still be wrong. But we have good instincts.”
And money, she thought. “No wonder you’re considered a hot bachelor. How is it you’ve survived all this time without being trapped by some determined young woman?”
He smiled, but his eyes were cold and distant. “I’ve been burned enough times to not trust anyone.”
“That can’t be fun,” she said, wondering if they had the same problem for different reasons. “How can you get close if you don’t trust?”
“I don’t need to get close to get what I want.”
Which made sense, she thought, but was also sad. “That’s got to get lonely.”
“You don’t have a guy in your life. Are you lonely?”
“No.” Not exactly. Sometimes she wanted more, but the price of that always scared her away.
“So we’re not so different,” he said.
“Except for the millions and the fact that you date models, we’re practically twins separated at birth.”
“You’re never going to let the model thing go, are you?”
“Um…not really.”
The tux shop was well lit and elegant. Not exactly like those places at the mall. Marina felt distinctly underdressed, especially when the salesperson, a gorgeous brunette in her mid-twenties, stepped out from behind the counter in an outfit that looked as if it cost as much as Marina’s rent.
“May I help you?” she asked, her gaze locking on Todd.
“We’re here to look at tuxes,” he said. “For a wedding.”
The woman—Roxanne, according to her nametag—sighed. “Yours?”
“No. I’m the best man. The groom is out of the country. I’m supposed to make the right decision without him.”
“I see.” Roxanne turned her piercing green gaze on Marina. “And you are?”
“The sister of the bride. I get a vote.”
“Wonderful.”
Roxanne’s attention swung back to Todd. Marina had a feeling it was never going to stray again.
“We have an amazing collection of designer tuxedos,” Roxanne said, her voice low and sultry. “They’re available for rent or purchase. Does the groom have your build?”
Todd glanced down at himself, then at Marina. “We’re about the same size, don’t you think?”
Marina nodded. “Pretty much. We want something simple, but e
legant. Unfortunately the colors haven’t been picked yet, so we’re not ready to place the order.”
Roxanne continued to gaze at Todd. “That’s fine. You can try on whatever you like to see what makes you happy, then come back later.”
Marina had a feeling Todd could visit every day and Roxanne wouldn’t mind.
The three of them walked over to the display rack of tuxedos. Roxanne eyed Todd’s body in a way that made Marina feel that she had stumbled into something intimate, then pulled out several selections.
“There are color choices, of course,” Roxanne said. “Traditional black, various shades of gray, a few in other colors such as dark blue.”
Todd grimaced. “Black or gray works for me. We’re just looking for a regular tux. Bow tie and cummerbund.”
“I like vests better,” Marina said. Todd looked at her, Roxanne didn’t.
“Vests?” He sounded doubtful. “I never wear a vest.”
“How often do you put on a tux? Cummerbunds remind me of a high school prom. A vest can be elegant.”
He shrugged. “Okay, but then I want a regular tie. A vest with a bow tie makes me feel like a grandfather.”
Roxanne ran her hand down his arm. “You’re certainly not that, are you?”
Marina held in a gagging noise. “At least try on both,” she suggested. “If you hate it when it’s on, then you can whine to Ryan.”
“I don’t whine.”
“Oh, please. I’ve heard you.”
Roxanne moved between them. “Let me get your size,” she said, whipping a tape measure out of the jacket pocket of her very tailored and body-hugging suit. “Just hold your hands at your sides and relax.”
Marina leaned against the counter as Roxanne did a very thorough job of the measuring. There was so much touching and cooing that even Todd started to look uncomfortable.
“All right,” Roxanne said when she finally finished. “Let’s get you into a dressing room and see how things go.”
As she went into the back to get the samples, Marina grinned. “I hope she’s quiet, because I embarrass easily. If the two of you start moaning, I’m out of here. Oh, give me the car keys so I can abandon you.”
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